1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to image processing technology suitable for game devices and various simulators (virtual reality devices) that conduct three-dimensional (3D) image display.
2. Description of the Related Art
A game device for shooting a target character (e.g., an enemy such as a person) appearing on the screen with a gun-shaped controller having a shape imitating a gun is conventionally known. With this kind of shooting game device, it is important to accurately understand where the player is aiming on the screen with the gun-shaped controller. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H11-86038 discloses technology for calculating which position (XY coordinates) the muzzle of the gun-shaped controller is aiming on the screen, wherein an infrared light emission unit is disposed to a plurality of locations around the monitor for displaying the game image and a light-reception unit is provided on the gun-shaped controller side, each of the foregoing light emission units is lit up in order and the quantity of light is detected with the light-reception unit in order, and the detection result thereof is used for such calculation.
With the foregoing conventional technology, only the two-dimensional position on the screen is calculated, and no consideration is given regarding from where and how the player (operator) is aiming at the position on the screen. As a result, in a shooting game where enemy characters are disposed in the three-dimensional virtual space (game space), and the image (so-called three-dimensional display image) viewed from the virtual viewpoint inside this virtual space is displayed, there are cases where unnatural processing is performed. For instance, when an enemy character is lurking in the shadows inside the game space, which should impossible to hit, and such enemy character is visible in the game image and the muzzle is pointed at that position, there are cases where this enemy character can be shot down, and this would impair the realistic sensation.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide technology enabling the generation of images of high realistic sensation upon accurately reflecting the operator's behavior.